CONSUMPTION OF BOILED COFFEE IS CORRELATED WITH SERUM-CHOLESTEROL IN FINLAND

Pietinen P (National Public Health Institute, Mannerheimintie 166, SF-00300, Helsinki, Finland), Aro A, Tuomilehto J, Uusitalo U and Korhonen H. Consumption of boiled coffee is correlated with serum choleserol in Finland. International Journal of Epidiology 1990; 19: 586-590.The association between coffee consumption and serum cholesterol concentration was studied in a cross-sectional epidemiological study among 5704 men and women in Finland. The mean serum cholesterol values of those consuming boiled coffee (24% of the subjects) was significantly higher than that of drinkers of filtered coffee (69% of the subjects) in both sexes after adjusting for age, body mass index, smoking, serum gamma-glutamyltransferase, index of saturated fat intake, and physical activity: in men 6.37 versus 6.02 mmol/l, in women 6.22 versus 5.84 mmol/l, both significant at p<0.001. A significant dose-dependent effect was observed between the consumption of boiled coffee both in men and in women. For filter coffee drinkers a weak coffee dose-cholesterol association was found only for women. The magnitude of the effect of boiled coffee, 0.3-0.4 mmol/l in serum cholesterol values, is in accordance with the results from controlled trials carried out among both hyper- and normocholesterolaemic subjects. © 1990 International Epidemiological Association.